Dec. 15 Films: Intergalactic, Indie, International

December 14th, 2017

For many movie lovers, December 15 is STAR WARS day — the release of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. While we’re celebrating the “holiday” with an exclusive inside look at the film, we’re also welcoming fantastic new indie and international films to our theatres. See what’s playing at an AMC near you and get your tickets today.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Pantallas

As part of our Latino cinema program, Pantallas, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is playing in Spanish at select AMC locations. Browse showtimes at a theatre near you.

The First Order is stronger than ever under evil Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). New Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) strives to understand her place in the STAR WARS universe as she trains with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Conflicts arise in the Resistance due to the leadership of new Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) — and according to writer-director Rian Johnson, the good guys are really tested. Hear more from Johnson and the cast of the latest STAR WARS chapter in our exclusive interview.

In THE LAST JEDI, Johnson pushed the envelope of the renowned franchise — from the special effects to the storyline. Every major character was challenged; however, fans can still expect an epic adventure, as the heroes of THE FORCE AWAKENS join the galactic legends to uncover age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

THE DISASTER ARTIST

AMCi

Directed and produced by James Franco, THE DISASTER ARTIST is a dramedy based on Greg Sestero's best-selling tell-all about the making of Tommy Wiseau's cult-classic disasterpiece THE ROOM.

When Sestero (Dave Franco), an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Wiseau (James Franco) in an acting class, they form a unique bond and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true. What they end up making, however, is “the greatest bad movie” of all time.

You don’t need to have seen or even heard of THE ROOM to laugh along at THE DISASTER ARTIST. James Franco’s film hinges on the relationship between Sestero and Wiseau and how their dynamic evolves over the course of filming, which neither of them have experience doing.

Underneath the hilarity is a moving, universal message of friendship, hope and persistence. James Franco shares his approach to telling the true story.

THE DISASTER ARTIST also stars Seth Rogan, Alison Brie and Zac Efron, as well as features a few cameos you’ll have to see on the big screen. The film opened nationwide December 8, with $6.4 million in ticket sales over the weekend (the fourth highest-grossing). See for yourself why it’s earning both audience and Oscar buzz.

THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA

Asian-Pacific Cinema

With THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA, legendary director Yuen Woo Ping and writer-producer Tsui Hark breathe new life into the wuxia genre, weaving together fantasy, humor and breathtaking martial arts action.

Dao, a naive young constable, discovers a secret society with supernatural abilities that has protected mankind for centuries. As he’s drawn into a power struggle within their ranks, they learn that an ancient creature with the strength to destroy the world is rising — and it will take all of their abilities combined to stop it.

The Mandarin-language film is based on Yuen Woo Ping’s THE MIRACLE FIGHTERS, a 1982 martial arts fantasy-comedy about a young fighter who is trained by two elderly priests to defeat an evil sorcerer. Woo Ping’s goal with THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA is to tell the story in a new way — less magicians, more aliens — and redefine the wuxia genre.

Woo Ping is best known as the action director/choreographer of such films as CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON; THE MATRIX trilogy; and Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL movies.

YOUTH

Asian-Pacific Cinema

In the Chinese coming-of-age drama YOUTH, members of a military arts troupe face personal trials and tribulations — from escaping a family scandal to coping with unrequited love — while their country crumbles during the Cultural Revolution. Every growing pain is chronicled through a historical lens, its center fixated on a promising new recruit, He Xiaoping (Miao Miao).

From the moment she arrives, Xiaoping is treated as a joke by the collective — everyone except lead dancer Liu Feng (Huang Xuan). Feng is admired by all of his peers, until one mistake costs him his place in their small, isolated world.

Once Feng’s sent away, Xiaoping loses her spirit and is reassigned (as punishment) as a field medic, where she experiences the horrors of the Sino-Vietnam war firsthand.

The film is based on the novel “Fang Hua” by Geling Yan, one of the most acclaimed contemporary novelists and screenwriters writing in the Chinese language today. Yan served with the People's Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution, starting at age 12 as a dancer in an entertainment troupe.

Her real-life inspiration, with direction from “China’s Spielberg,” Feng Xiaogang, create a painful, yet hopeful story of love and loss.

See these fantastic new films and more at an AMC theatre near you this weekend. Get your tickets to STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, THE DISASTER ARTIST, THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA and YOUTH today.